Terminal connecter



Oct. 16, 1928. 1,688,182

G. w. FITZGERALD TERMINAL CONNECTER Filed April 14', 1.926

Patented Oct. 16, 1928 eiiY w. FITZGERALD, on Union, IOWA,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO HARMON, C.

SHEAR, or WATER-Loo, IOWA.

TERMINAL eonnncrnn;

Application filed April 14,1926.

My invention relates more particularly to those terminal connecters whlch are made of strips or ribbons of spring metal folded back upon themselves into loop form f and having circuit wire or terminal engaging portions upon their loop sides adaptedto be placed in such relaton by manually bringing theconnecter sides closer together as to afford circuit terminal receiving spaces between the terminal engaging portions. A

wire end or circuit terminal inserted into a re ceiving space thus provided in a connecter of this type serves to maintain the connecter sides in contracted relation against the natural spreading action that is due to the resilience of the strip metal of which the connecter is formed, with the result that the circuit terminal is held in mechanical and electrical assembly with the connecter.

In the device of the prior art, one circuit terminal engaging portion is in the form of a kinked tongue inwardly struck from one side of the connecter that constitutes the mounting base of the connecter. This tongue is located in register with anopening formed in the remaining side of the connector which side is free to be depressedinto a position in which the tongue will have its kinked portion projected sufficiently through said opening to provide the desired terminal receiving space between the kinked portion of the tongue and the depressed connecter side. The connector is not only formed with an opening in its de-- pressible side to receive the tongue, but is also formed with an opening where the tongue is struck from the base side, these openings weakening the 1 connecter. The tongue is so positioned that the flatside thereof, as distinguished from an edge, is engaged by the circuit terminal, the strain due to the resilient action of the connecter being exerted upon the tongue in the same direction with the strain that was exerted in striking the tongue from the strip metal. As a consequence the tongue is apt to be broken away at its base. i

In a connector of my invention, the circuit terminal engaging portions-are so-co'n structed and located that no openings are required in the sides of the connecter. Instead of a single circuit terminal engaging tongue requiring the formation of a Weakening opening in its construction, I employ two tongues at opposite longitudinal edges of one connecter side,whicl1 may be a mount-.

Serial No. 101,998.

ing side, of the connecter, these tongues beinglocated abreast and constituting i11- tegral and angular lateral continuations of this connector side; The remaining side of the connector is disposed in register with and is movable in the space between said tongues, circuit terminal receiving spaces being formed between this remaining connecter side and said tongues when the connector sides have been pressed sufiiciently together. a

In addition to the elimination of the weakening openings in the sides of the connecter, which I thus effect, edge portions of the tongues are desirably presented to the inserted circuit terminahthese edge portions having a scraping or cutting action to re move current obstructing foreign matter from the terminal undergoing insertion. The spring pressure is also desirably exerted in the planes of the tongues rather than transversely to the plane of a single tongue, whereby danger of rupture at the junction of the tongues and theconnecter side carrying the same is overcome. A connect-er thus constructed may be made of lighter stock and of smaller dimensions than a connecter of the prior art of similar strength.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preierred embodiment of the invention in which a connecter 1s shown in full lines in open or non-clamping adjustment, the terminal clamping adjustment of the connecter beingdllustrated by the dotted lines as is also a wire or circuit terminal clamped thereby; Fig. 2 is a side view of the con- 7 necter adjusted to clamp aterminal; Fig.

3 is a plan view of the connecter as shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. l is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. c

The connecter illustrated is formed of a strip or ribbon of spring metal folded into the form of a loop having a base or mounting side 1 and an opposite free or depressible side 2 terminating in a finger hold 3 in the form of an outwardly deflected continuation of the connecter side 2. The base side 1 of the connecter may be formed with an, opening at for the reception of the shank of a mounting screw. Tongues 5 are lo cated abreast at opposite longitudinal edges of the base side of the connecter and are incontinuations of this connecter side.- The tongues project toward the manually adjusted connecter side 2 and arespaced apart to permit this connecter side to be depressed into aposition therebetween, as illustrated in Fig 1 by dotted lines. The tongues are preferably'in the shape of hooks in which case they have forward continuations Sat ciently depressed.

when caught'between the tongues 5 and the sufliclently depressed connecter side 2, serves to hold this connector side in approached relation to the base side of the connecter against the resilience of theconnecter where by firm mechanical and electrical assembly of the connector and circuit terminal is assured. The spring pressure exerted by the depressed connecter side against the circuit terminal is resistedby the tongues in the planes thereof whereby any tendency to rupture the tongues where joined with the base side of the connecter is overcome. In other words, the strain on the tongues exerted by the depressed connecter side 2 when thecircuit terminal is in place is not in the same direction as the strain upon the metal occurring in the formation of the tongues, with the advantage stated .In addition to this advantage,'- the edges of the tongues, rather than the broad sides thereof, preferably have engagement with the inserted terminal, the contacting edges of the tongues having scraping or cutting action upon any current obstructing foreign matter upon the terminal thereby further improving the electrical assembly of the connector and terminal, By

ture of advantage where circuit connection is made in the, dark. From the description and illustration of the invention, it will be observed that the tongues 5 are formed of lateral extensions of the loop side 1, said tongues and loop-side being formed of strip spring metal, whereby edge portions of the I tongues, are presented for engagement with the conductor-applied thereto, the tongues being rigid in their relation to such conductor by virtue of their formation.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: o

A connecter formed of a strip of spring metal formed into a loop, one loop Side of the connecter, having two tongues formed of lateral extensions of this loop side which are bent to project from oppositeedge portions of this loop side toward the other loop side and spaced apart to permit this other loop side to be-,moved therebetween toward and from the first loop side, each of said tongues having ahookcontinuation at its uppe'rportion extending along the connectorand below whichsaid other loop side may be depressed into a position to permit a wire crossing and moved along said other loopside'to be held between this other loop side and the lower edges of said hook continuations, edge portions of the tongues being presented for engagement with the conductor applied thereto andthe tongues being rigid in their relation to such conductor by-vi-rtueof their formation. I

In witness whereof, hereunto subscribe my name. v- Y UY W.;FITZGERALDJ 

